Hurricane Florence hits US East Coast
Tens of thousands of homes are without power and sea water is sloshing through coastal streets as hurricane Florence begins lashing the US East Coast, according to a BBC News Sept. 15 report.
The hurricane is moving towards land with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90mph (150 km/h). Evacuation orders are in place for more than a million people.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline, according to Aon Benfield’s Impact Forecasting. The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore winds, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves.
Florence is expected to produce heavy and excessive rainfall particularly in southeastern coastal North Carolina into far northeastern South Carolina. This rainfall will produce catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding, according to Aon Benfield.
The remainder of South Carolina and North Carolina into southwest Virginia rainfall will produce life-threatening flash flooding. A few tornadoes are possible in eastern and southeastern North Carolina through Friday. Swells generated by Florence are affecting Bermuda, portions of the US East Coast, and the northwestern and central Bahamas. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, Aon Benfield warned.
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